Liner Notes for a Tango Compilation

To observe a dance of tango is to watch a very subtle form of communication between two people,
one that relies on the slightest of touches, shifts of weight, the barest application of
pressure—all solely transmitted through the body as the dancers gaze past
each other in silence.
To be a partner
in the dance is to know this language and to be a skillful interpreter of the movements of
another's form. And then there is the music: sinuous, sad, lamenting, and passionate,
sometimes cheeky and buoyant. I have been a fan of both the dance and the music for many years
now and have put together a tango music compilation that serves as both a practice CD and as
an introduction to the genre for my partners. The liner notes themselves, posted below,
constitute a useful history of the early years of tango. The complete
track listing
is at the
end of this page. Feel free to
contact me
for details on where to find any of this music.

From the Old Guard to the Golden Age: A Brief History of the First Decades of
Tango Music

Tango has its origins in the mid 1800s among the disadvantaged classes in the barrios and
brothels of Buenos Aires. The few compositions existing from this period evince a distinct
Spanish flavor. Italian immigration beginning in the 1900s brought the influence of Neapolitan
song to tango music, injecting the lyrical violin melodies that became a characteristic of the
genre. Around 1910, the bandoneón was introduced by German immigrants and became a key part of
the tango ensemble. With these refinements in place, tango music and dance gained in popularity
and respectability.

One of the most important figures in the early years was pianist, band leader, and composer
Roberto Firpo (1884-1969). Firpo firmly established the use of the piano in the tango ensemble
and imbued his performances with a compelling romanticism that became a staple of tango. His use
of the piano to provide a strong rhythmic force is evident in recordings like "Padre Nuestro"
(1) and "Cuando Llora la Milonga" (2). Listen especially for the splendid bandoneón
run in the
middle of the latter. The classic "A Media Luz" (3) exemplifies the ribald wit of the tangos of
this period. The lyrics describe the goings-on in the titular half-light of an apartment used
for romantic trysts: "¡Qué suave terciopelo / la media luz de amor!" ("What smooth velvet, the
half-light of love!").

Francisco Canaro (1888-1964) was another important member of what is now known as the
"Guardia Vieja," the collection of band leaders who shaped the early tango sound. He ushered in
the "estribillista" era by introducing singers into his orchestra. "Clavel del Aire" (4) is
typical of these recordings in that it employs a singer only during the bridge of the song.
The composer is Juan de Dios Filiberto, who neatly described his personal musical philosophy:
"The one major factor in music is the possession of an innate sentimentality." Canaro's
composition "Las Vueltas de la Vida" (5) has an expanded role for the singer and uses a minimum
of backing orchestration, thus foregrounding the sinuous lead vocals.

Self-taught musicians tended to dominate the early years of tango. But in the 1920s,
classically trained performers began to lend their skills to the orchestras. Among them was
violinist Julio De Caro (1899-1980), who established his sextet in 1924 and deeply influenced
other performers with a complex style that blended tango's folk origins with a refined European
sensibility and thus helped to define the "Guardia Nueva." De Caro's rendition of "Qué Noche"
(6)
was the third recording of the popular tune originally recorded by Firpo's orchestra. Legend has
it that Agustín Bardi composed it during a rare snowfall in Buenos Aires, hence the title.
"Recuerdo" (7) was written by noted composer and band leader Osvaldo Pugliese when he was still
working as a pianist at cafés and movie houses. The song is considered a breakthrough in tango
composition as it opened new vistas of complexity. When Pugliese went on to record it with his
own orchestra in 1944, he remained faithful to the original arrangement by De Caro represented
on this recording. The popular standard "Yira, Yira" (8) possesses a lightness of melody that
contrasts with the lyrics by Enrique Santos Discépolo, a talented poet and composer who imbued
his texts with a pessimistic philosophy: "Aunque te quiebre la vida, / aunque te muerda un
dolor, / no esperes nunca una ayuda, / ni una mano, ni un favor"
("Although life breaks you, although sadness bites you, never hope for any help, nor a hand,
nor a favor"). "Copacabana" (9) and "Quien Dijo Miedo" (10) are both original De Caro
compositions and demonstrate his skill at interweaving melodies for strings, piano, and
bandoneón.

After playing bandoneón for Roberto Firpo, Osvaldo Fresedo (1897-1984) started his own
orchestra. Fresedo's innovations include the addition of new instruments such as harp and
vibraphone as well as more percussion. One of the most well-known and loved tangos in the
repertoire, "Caminito" (11) is considered a "canción porteña" due to its simple and direct
melody and arrangement, a contrast with tangos in the more adorned city style. Composer Juan
de Dios Filiberto wrote it as an instrumental in 1923. Three years later he wanted to add
lyrics to prepare it for performance at a native songs contest. His friend Coria Peñaloza told
him he already had an appropriate poem about a little path he walked with a lover in his youth.
The affair ended when the girl moved away from Peñaloza's province. The song was not successful
at the contest of its premiere as its sad romanticism did not conform to the spirit of the
festival. Nevertheless, it eventually found its audience. Fresedo's gentle "humming and
whistling" version communicates the song's sensibility even without the words. "La Cieguita"
(12) is another example of the type of simple, plaintive, and eminently danceable tangos that
Fresedo excelled at.

As tango orchestras were proving their popularity, the Victor recording company decided to
put together an orchestra, hiring classically trained pianist Adolfo Carabelli for the job.
Carabelli's Orquesta Tipica Victor never performed in public but has left memorable recordings
of tango classics. One of the most well-known tango tunes, "El Choclo" (13) dates from the very
early days of the genre, and some claim it was composed as early as 1898 by singer and guitarist
Angel Villoldo. We do know it was first performed by an orchestra in 1903. The lyrics provide
an example of the comic sensibility that pervaded early tango, a wit evident in the double
meaning of the title ("corn cob"). Without a doubt, "La Cumparsita" (14) is the most
recognizable of tangos and is indeed the one most recorded, partly because its simplicity lent
itself to the embellishments that orchestra leaders and arrangers delighted in. In its original
form, the tune was a march by a Uruguayan named Gerardo Matos Rodriguez, but it took Roberto
Firpo to arrange it for tango and perform it with his orchestra for the first time in 1916.
Some versions have employed lyrics, but Orquesta Tipica Victor's version preserves the rhythmic
contours of the instrumental original. "Mama Yo Quiero un Novio" (15) is a classic of youthful
longing and rare in the repertoire as its wistful romanticism is expressed from the point of
view of a young woman.

The mid 1920s is also associated with the growing prominence of tango singers. Foremost among
them was folk singer and guitarist Carlos Gardel (1890-1935). Tango songs were frequently
humorous and bawdy, but Gardel introduced a tragic consciousness, a lovelorn melancholia
bordering at times on despair. Hopeless love became a staple of the tango aesthetic, and Gardel
would go on to become one of the most adored voices of tango. "Mi Buenos Aires Querido" (16) is
Gardel's love letter to the city that inspired so many tango performers. One of Gardel's most
famous and passionate numbers, "Por una Cabeza" (17) appeared in the 1935 film Tango Bar. In
this variant of the forelorn lover's tale, the narrator faces the loss of both his money (due
to a horse that loses "by a head") and the beautiful woman who scorns him. "Si ella me olvida /
qué importa perderme / mil veces la vida, / para qué vivir" ("If she forgets me, what matters
if I lose my life a thousand times, why live at all").

As individual singers started to gain followings, women finally became more prominent in the
tango scene. One of the first and most popular was Rosita Quiroga (1901-1984), who brought a
folk sensibility to her performances. One journalist called her the "Piaf from the outskirts of
Buenos Aires." Her vocal charms are highlighted in the wistful "Cuando Llegue el Otoño" (18).
Azucena Maizani (1902-1970) debuted with Francisco Canaro's orchestra in 1920. She successfully
toured Europe and authored many of her own songs. "Se Va la Vida" (19) is a composition by
Edgardo Donato, whose orchestra Maizani toured with in 1930. Her rendition was a big hit when
she performed in Spain.

By this time, tango music was gaining popularity throughout Europe, and many Argentine
orchestras made their names performing on the continent. Juan Bautista Deambroggio, better
known as Bachicha, was one of the pioneers of tango in France. He played bandoneón with the
Orquesta Firpo in Buenos Aires before making his way to Spain and then to Paris, where he
joined classically trained violinist Eduardo Bianco to form an orchestra. Like the majority of
his compositions, Bachicha wrote "Renacimiento" (20) in Paris. Listen for the gentle melodic
line of Bianco's violin backing the bold expressions of the bandoneóns. "Donde Estás, Corazón"
(21) was written and originally performed by Augusto Berto, one of the early innovators of the
bandoneón. Bachicha's version puts more emphasis on the plaintive vocals: "Dónde estás corazón,
/ no oigo tu palpitar, / es tan grande el dolor / que no puedo llorar" ("Where are you, my heart,
I can't hear you beating, the pain is so heavy I can't cry").

Another band leader who found fame in Paris was violinist Manuel Pizarro. Pizarro came
ashore on the continent in Marseilles in 1920 and quickly made his way to Paris, where he
formed the connections to successfully launch his own orchestra. Like many tango tunes,
"Decime, que Esperas" (22) is best known as sung by Carlos Gardel. Pizarro's instrumental
recording is more obscure but no less distinctive. In the world of tango, Paris is considered
the other city of light as Buenos Aires holds a higher place in a true Argentine's heart.
Nevertheless, Paris has received its share of tributes in tango music and songs like "Muñequita
de Paris" (23) became part of the repertoires of band leaders like Pizarro.

Although some claim 1920 as the first year of the "Golden Age of Tango," others employ a
stricter definition of the term and date the beginning to 1935, a year that ushered in a new
wealth of creativity and skill. One of the most popular performers of the new era was orchestra
leader and bandoneón player Aníbal Troilo (1914-1975). From 1937 on, Troilo was known for
employing singers who achieved their best in their recordings with his orchestra. Of his
well-known sentimental nature, Troilo once remarked: "It is said that I am very often moved
and that I cry. Yes, it is true. But I never do these things for trivial reasons." Recordings
like "Qué Risa" (24) and "Patio Mío" (25) are strikingly different from anything that came
before. The latter is one of Troilo's own compositions. In the lyrics by Cátulo Castillo, known
for his meditations upon human suffering due to love, alcoholism, and the cognizance of
mortality, the narrator looks back upon the courtyard of his childhood and forward to his
death. "Corralera" (26) is characterized by a distinctive rhythm formed by the galloping piano
and the energetic punches of the bandoneóns. The origin of the majestic "Bandoneón Arrabalero"
(27) is a matter of controversy, and we cannot be sure if it was written by Juan Bautista
Deambroggio (Bachicha) or if the Parisian orchestra leader bought it off of the guitarist
Horacio Pettorossi. We do know that it was a hit for the Bachicha-Bianco orchestra in Paris.
Troilo's version is of course very different from the earlier recordings.

Although many of the recordings from these early years of tango are difficult to find and
the scratchy, muddled sound fails to conform to contemporary standards of fidelity, what we do
have represents a portrait of tango as an energetic, youthful art form. The music is sometimes
silly, occasionally pretentious, often melodramatic, but always a delight.